Adjustable can-opener.



LE ROY M. HARDIN. MDJUSTABLE CAN OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5.1918.

1,28%;8'Y'K Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

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Y I a Z/ /4 7 7 |NVENTOH ATTOR NEY 20 specification and claims, and reference is 7 To all whom it may concern LE ROY m. n ajnn'm, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

linens rants CAN-OPENER.

Be it known that I, Ln ROY M. HARDIN, a

; citizen of the United States, residing at'Chicage, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Can-Openers, of which the following isa'specification. a

This invention relates to cutlery, and more especially to can openers; and the primary object of the same is to produce a device of this character capable of use in conjunction with cans of various sizes.

A secondary object is to produce a can opener in which the support for the swinging knife is a part of theopener rather thanthe-edge of the can itself, thereby avoiding injury to the'operator or upsetting ofn the can which frequently occurs.

Other objects will appear in the following made to the drawings, wherein Figure l is a front elevation,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, I

Eight} a plan view partly broken away, an

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail.

Secured to the upright such as the wall is a bracket 1 having an upright rib 2 on which the upper element is adjustable vertically as will be described. The lower element is a pan 3 carried rigidly by the lower end of the bracket as best seen in Fig. 2 and preferably containing a rubber mat l. The numeral 5 designates a clamp sliding on the rib 2 and held in adjusted positio" thereon by a set screw 6, and to this claim, at 7 is hinged a ring 8 of channel iron as best seen in section in'Fig. 4, the same having a handle 9 at its front. Within this channel on upright axes 10 are pivoted a series of rollers 11.' The numeral 12 designates a top plate or disk having around its edge an upbent flange 13 traveling inside the rollers and overlying their upper ends a little as seen in Fig. 4-, and this disk has a radial slot 14-. Directly over the same is an arm 15 whose inner end 16 is dropped to and secured upon the center of the disk and carries a pin 17 depending through the same and intended to pierce the top T of the can C at its center, as shown in Fig.2. A crank handle 18 is shown as mounted at the outer end of the' arm 15, by which said arm and the entire disk may be rotated, its liauge moving over the ring of rollers as Will be clearly under- Speciiication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2a, 1918.

Application filed July 5, 1918. I Serial No. 243,408.

stood. A clamp 19 is adjustable longitudinally on the arm by any suitable means such as a set screw 20, and this clamp carries a blade 21 which depends through the slot 14 in the disk and is intended to enter the top of the can- In use, a can of anysize within the limits of the machine is centered upon the mat 4 in the pan 3 Then the upper element is adjusted to the heightof this can by loosening the set screw 6 and moving the clamp 5 down on the rib 2 of the bracket, and finally tight en1ng the set screw. .Now the upper element is grasped; by the handle 9 andturned down on itshinge 7, possibly far enough to cause the pin 17 to enter the exact center of the top T of the can, or at least to rest on said,

center. By means of the set screw 20, the clamp 19 is now adjusted so that the blade 21 will stand just inside the periphery of the can-top Then by bearing down on the handle 18 and the arm 15, the point 17 and blade 21 will be forced through said can. Finally by grasping the handle 18 in one hand and giving it a swing around a circle,

and meanwhile holding the handle 9 in the other hand, the disk 12 and the cutter are turned and the can is cut in a manner which will beclear. The upper element is then raised on its hinge, and the can removed and. I

replaced by another. Ma-nifestly this device can be used for the rapid opening of cans in large numbers, and it is obviously adapted to cans of different diameters and different heights within limits.

The foregoing description and"the drawings have reference to what may be considered the preferred, or approved formof my invention. It is to be understood that I may make such changes in construction and arrangement and c'ombination' of parts, materials, dimensions, et cetera, as may prove expedient and fall within the scope .of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as newand desire to secur by Letters Patent, is

1. In a can opener, the combination with f an upright guide, and a can-supporting element fixedly mounted at the lower end thereof; of a clamp adjustable vertically on said guide, an upper element hinged to said clamp, rotary can-cutting mechanism carried by said element and including a centering point, a radi'alrarm, and a blade adjustable along said arm.

2. In a can opener, the combination with a base, an upright guide, and a clamp adjustable vertica 1y on the guide; of a ring hinged at one side to said clamp and having a handle at its other side, a disk rotatably mounted within the ring, and a blade radially adjustable on the disk. v P

' 3. Ina can openeiythe combination With a base, an upright guide, and a clamp-adjustable vertically on the guide; oia ring hinged at one side to saidclamp and having a handle at its other side, a disk rotatably mounted Within the rin a'handle for rotating the disk, a point %.epending from the center of the disk, and a blade adjustable I radiallyflon the disk."

4. In a can opener, the combination With an upright support, and a clamp mounted *thereon; of a ring of channel shape hinged to said support, a series of rollers mounted in the channel, a disk having a flanged edge engaging said rollers, a handle on the disk, and a cutter adjustable on the disk.

' 5. In a can opener, the combination with an upright support, and a clamp mounted edge Ten 5 to said support, a series of rollers mounted in the channel, a disk having a flanged edge engaging said rollers and aradial slot in its body, an arm -whose inner endfis -tsecured .to

'the center of said disk and Whose-body oven, lies said slot, a crank handleat the outerend of the arm, a, clamp adj ustablelongitudinally on the arm, and a blade carriedby the clamp and depending through said slot.

thereon; of a ringof channel shape hinged- '6. In aoan'opener, the combination with radial 0t in its body, an rm means for rotating theilatte ri In testimonyv whereof Ia'flix in presence of two witnesses.

.. LE ROYv M.

Witnesses:

EDDY E. LANGE, I RICHARD HILL.

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